Multiple tool pocket implement

ABSTRACT

A pocket-sized multiple tool implement, the described embodiments comprising a number of tools resiliently biased by an integral spring, and disposed between two plates of differing shape which cooperate to form finger recesses on one side of said implement, and comprising an assembly of tools disposed between two plates, one of which is substantially square and the other of which has corners defining acute angles for mounting and exposing said tools.

United States Patent Inventors Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Clayton A. Laughlin Minneapolk, Minm;

Etsuo Wannabe, Scki-shc, Japan 770,219

Oct. 24, 1968 Aug. 24, 1971 Arthur Salm Inc.

Chicago, 111.

MULTIPLE TOOL POCKET IMPLEMENT 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

us. Cl 7/1 1,

30/152 Int. Cl B26b 11/00 Field ofSearch 7/11;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,162,654 6/1939 Vaisey 30/155 3,284,897 11/1966 Bliss 7/llX Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee Attorney-Pendleton, Neuman, Williams and Anderson ABSTRACT: A pocket-sized multiple tool implement, the described embodiments comprising a number of tools resiliently biased by an integral spring, and disposed between two plates of differing shape which cooperate to form finger recesses on one side of said implement, and comprising an assembly of tools disposed between two plates, one of which is substantially square and the other of which has corners defining acute angles for mounting and exposing said tools.

MULTIPLE TOOL POCKET IMPLEMENT BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates in general to pocket implements, and in particular to pocket implements including a multiplicity of tools connected to a single carrying member and foldable therein when not in use. This invention further relates to pocket implements wherein the tools are urged to, and held in place in, either an extended or a retracted position .by a resilient means.

Description of the Prior Art Pocket knives, pocket-screwdrivers, folding nail files and folding scissors of various types are well known in the art, as are various types of cases, rings and clips for holding these tools. The invention herein disclosed provides a'means for carrying a multiple number of tools ina compact unit having exceptionally smooth edges overlying the tools to prevent excessive wear to the inside of a pocket or damage thereto by snagging or tearing with cooperating recessed edges to provideaccess to the tools. The instant invention further provides unique cooperation between a plurality of pivotally mounted tools, an integral resilient means, and two complementary shaped face plates. This cooperation permits the use of a minimum number of parts in an efficient and economical manner to form a useful implement havingan esthetically pleasing configuration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides two faceplates with different surface areas and configurations having a plurality of tools disposed therebetween. The configuration of the two faceplates is such that when a tool is in the closed position it is inward the bounds of one plate, and partly inward the bounds of the other. This construction makes the tools in the closed position hidden when viewed from one side of the pocket implement, and also provides finger recesses for digitally, moving the tools. One unique embodiment of the invention provides a substantially square faceplate with the implements mounted at three orfour of the corners and falling substantially entirely within the perimeter of the faceplate when in the closed position. The other faceplate has corners defining slightly acute angles to provide finger access to the tools. Further the present invention provides'a unique integral spring configura-j tion for biasing a plurality of tools towards either an open or closed position, and holding them there.

It is an object of this invention therefore to provide an improved multiple tool pocket implement. It is another object of this invention to provide a pocket implement wherein the carrying member forms a rectilinear tool handle when the tool is extended from the carrying member for use.

It is a further object to provide a multiple tool pocket implement in which the complementary configurations of the front and backplates provide protection for the multiple tools with finger recesses on one side of the implement for digitally moving the tools from the closed position.

It is still a further object to provide a multiple tool pocket implement wherein the rectilinear configurations Of the front and backplates in conjunction with the tools disposed therebetween, create an esthetically pleasing unit which minimizes wear of the user's pocket or the like while facilitating use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multiple tool pocket implement wherein a plurality of tools are biased towards, and held in, either an extended or retracted position by a unique integral spring.

Further and additional objects of the invention will become manifest from this description, the accompanying drawing and the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING For a more I complete understanding of this invention reference will now be made to .-the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a planview of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

. FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the spring of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of a tool of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to' the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a multiple tool pocket implement 10 is illustrated comprising a backplate 11', a front plate 12, and a plurality of tools 13, 14,- 15 and 16 mounted in overlying relationship with backplate 11 and partially overlying relationship with front plate 12. In this preferred embodiment backplate 11 is a square and four tools are shown, one associated with each side and corner of the square plate ll .-It is understood, however, that a lesser number of tools could be employed with this backplate configuration.

Front plate 12 is shaped differently from, although complementary to, backplate 11, so that the cooperation of these two plates leaves the tools 13-16 partly exposed, thereby describing finger recesses for digitally moving said tools from the closed position. In thepictured embodiment front plate 12 has a smaller surface area than backplate 11 and generally V- shaped sides. It is important to the functional efficiency and 16a (FIGS. 3 and 4) near the corners of the backplate ll.

Rivets l3al6aextend through front plate 12 and backplate 11 but are normally notvisible after the outer surfaces of these plates are ground and polished. Rivets .l3a-l6a extend not only through the front and backplates,but also through holes 13b,- l4b, 15b and l6bjin the cam-shaped ends of tools 1346.

Each rivet fits through its respective aperture with clearance I and thereby describes a pivot point about which each corresponding tool may pivot from a closed or retracted as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to an open or extended position as shown in dottedline in FIG. 4. Each of the tools moves through an arc of about The tools 13-16 may be of any particular type or combination desired, and in FIG. 4 tools 13 and 14 are screwdrivers having different end sizes, tool 15 is a nail file and tool 16 is a conventional pocketknife blade. Each tool bears a conventional fingernail indent 13c, 14c, 15c, and 16:.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6 it is seen that a spring 18 has a body portion 22 which acts as a spacer for the plates 11 and 12 and a plurality of resilient legs 24'extendingoutwardly from the corners parallel to the edges of spacer portion 22. Each tool has a camlike extended portion 17 on the pivot end, which portion cooperates with an arm 24 of spring 18. Spring 18 provides the desired resilient action for urging the tools to either the extended or retracted position. Spring 18 also acts to resiliently resist movement from the extended or retracted position once the tools have reached this point. Each tool also includes a shoulder portion 19, which portion provides stop means for limiting the pivotal movement of each tool to the fully extended position by engaging the end of the corresponding arm 24 ofspring 18 (FIG. 4).

Referring now to FIGS. '4 and 5, integral resilient means comprising a unique spring configuration 18 is shown. Integral spring 18 is stamped from sheet steel and appropriately heat treated. It is mounted inward of the tools 13-16, and between the front and back plates 11 and 12 by means of rivets 20 which, extend through holes 21 (FIG. Spring 18 includes the substantially flat central body portion 22 having a top side, a bottom side and an edge. Shoulders 23 are disposed seriatim on the edge of said central body portion, and integrally connected to said shoulders are tapered arms 24, which extend from the shoulders substantially parallel to the edge of the central body portion. The tapered arms 24 of the integral spring 18 cooperate with the camlike extended portions 17 and shoulders 19 of the tools 13-16 to both bias the tools towards either an extended or retracted position, and to hold said tools in an extended or retracted position.

While one particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail it will immediately appear that modifications may be incorporated without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. For example, the shape of the front plate 12 could be varied in a number of ways to change the position of the finger recess with respect to the backplate 11 so long as the plate extended substantially to the four corners and formed slightly acute angles at those corners for the purposes described. Any such variations would still be considered within the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention having thus been described, what is desired to be claimed by Letters Patent is:

l. A multiple tool pocket implement including backplate means; complementary shaped front plate means spaced laterally from and connected to said backplate means; tool means; pivot means extending between said backplate means and said front plate means to pivotally support said tool means between said plate means, said tool means being pivotally movable between an extended position outwardly from said plate means and a retracted position between said plate means; and resilient means secured between said plate means,

said resilient means comprising a generally rectilinear body portion secured between said plate means and a plurality of integral resilient cantilever arms each having a free end in resilient engagement with one of said tool means to urge said tool means to either of the retracted and the extended positions whenever said tool means are near one of said positions, each of said arms further having a fixed end integral with said body portion at one comer thereof.

2. The implement of claim 1 wherein said resilient means is substantially flat and said body portion and said armsare substantially coplanar.

3. The implement of claim 1 wherein said backplate means is generally square and said front plate means conforms generally thereto, but defines recesses for engaging said tools.

4. The implement of claim 3 wherein said body portion defines a plurality of shoulders and one of said arms extends from each of said shoulders.

5. The implement of claim 4 wherein said body portion is generally square, a shoulderextends outwardly from each comer of said body portion, and each of said arms extends from one of said shoulder portions and generally parallel to one side of said body portion.

6. The implement of claim 5 which comprises four tool means, each mounted at one corner of said backplate means.

7. The implement of claim 3 wherein each of said tool means includes a blade portion and a cam portion, said cam portion being substantially concealed between said plate means irrespective of the position of said tool.

8. The implement of claim 4 wherein each of said arms is tapered toward its free end. 

1. A multiple tool pocket implement including backplate means; complementary shaped front plate means spaced laterally from and connected to said backplate means; tool means; pivot means extending between said backplate means and said front plate means to pivotally support said tool means between said plate means, said tool means being pivotally movable between an extended position outwardly from said plate means and a retracted position between said plate means; and resilient means secured between said plate means, said resilient means comprising a generally rectilinear body portion secured between said plate means and a plurality of integral resilient cantilever arms, each having a free end in resilient engagement with one of said tool means to urge said tool means to either of the retracted and the extended positions whenever said tool means are near one of said positions, each of said arms further having a fixed end integral with said body portion at one corner thereof.
 2. The implement of claim 1 wherein said resilient means is substantially flat and said body portion and said arms are substantially coplanar.
 3. The implement of claim 1 wherein said backplate means is generally square and said front plate means conforms generally thereto, but defines recesses for engaging said tools.
 4. The implement of claim 3 wherein said body portion defines a plurality of shoulders and one of said arms extends from each of said shoulders.
 5. The implement of claim 4 wherein said body portion is generally square, a shoulder extends outwardly from each corner of said body portion, and each of said arms extends from one of said shoulder portions and generally parallel to one side of said body portion.
 6. The implement of claim 5 which comprises four tool means, each mounted at one corner of said backplate means.
 7. The implement of claim 3 wherein each of said tool means includes a blade portion and a cam portion, said cam portion being substantially concealed between said plate means irrespective of the position of said tool.
 8. The implement of claim 4 wherein each of said arms is tapered toward its free end. 